Women in Business
Name : Charlotte Sapey Position : Managing Director Company : Integr8 Dane
“ People don ' t take me seriously because I am a young woman . But when they find out more about the business and our figures they are normally impressed because they don ' t expect it from us .”
“ We train the next generation of Diversity ! We go right into the heart of where children are at , nurseries , schools and colleges and provide high quality , affordable street dance classes and cheerleading .”
Charlotte is 26 and the Managing Director and founder of integr8 dance . Integr8dance believes in making dance accessible to everyone . The company is based in Winchester and provides classes and courses to adults and children around the local area of Winchester and Southamptonshire with plans to expand .
Why Business ? Graduating from Winchester University in 2008 with a degree in dance Charlotte worked as a freelance dance teacher around Winchester . She recognised there was a high demand for dance teachers in the area and realised she did not have the resources to meet this on her own , intergr8 dance was born !
The company now employs a mix of full time and part time staff and runs its own dance school whilst running classes at local schools , youthclubs and
businesses .
Discrimination
Charlotte says she has experienced discrimination because of her gender . She states that there are occasions where she has struggled to get people to take her seriously as young businesswoman . This can be extremely frustrating especially when trying to expand the business into new areas . This discrimination can also work in her favour as people ’ s expectations of what she can achieve are often lower , by showcasing the work she has done and with impressive financials she has beat expectations and earnt respect . People are also more willing to share ideas . cont .... 13